Dear Jesus,
Thank you for Advent. To take time to think about Advent, “the coming of God,” in this moment is difficult. There are so many distractions. There is so much noise. In a time of year where “Peace on Earth” should be something we aspire to, I’ve encountered irritable shoppers and impatient drivers! We are a mess.
Deadlines. Bills. Social Media. Phone notifications.
“Did I send the gift from Amazon to the right address?”
So many things keep us from being in a place of gratitude in this season when we should be remembering the reason we celebrate.
Jesus, I am grateful for the home that I live in where I can be with those I care about during this season. The wonder that shows on a child’s face is infectious and reminds me of when I was a child during this time of year. Thank you for the food and the smells it creates throughout the house, reminding us that you provide for us every day. Thank you for our ability to talk with friends and family far away and even see their faces sometimes. A phone or computer screen is better than nothing!
Thank you for showing us how to give gifts. As children, the best part was receiving something but as we grow up, I see the real magic is when we can give. Thank you for the joy that comes to us when we can be generous, in big and small ways.
In the last few years, we have had to relearn things. Remembering how to be in the church with other people took awhile to get used to. We take for granted that we can exist in each other’s spaces with an attitude of openness and reciprocity when, for a long time, we lived very solitary lives. Sure, there are certain advantages to not leaving one’s dwelling place often (introvert here!) but there is so much more to experience as a community. I’m thankful that we have mostly come around to not giving a second thought when we see smiling faces and happy eyes.
Thank you, Jesus, for walking with us these past few years as we have learned to sort out our lives again. This doesn’t mean that we won’t have any more issues but perhaps we did get to recalibrate some things.
Advent is a season of looking back in retrospect and evaluating not only how the last year or so has been but how we can take the lessons we’ve learned and move forward in a better light. Maybe the light of a star leads us to a place where we can realize that when Advent begins again, so can we. Every day the light that leads us to a closer relationship with our Creator shines on us to bring us ever closer to Advent.
Dear Jesus, we are a mess. In that mess, you come to us and walk us through it, always on a path to be closer to the Divine. In this season of presents, songs, decoration, and distraction, be with us so we can be reminded to be with others through it all.
Kevin Straine works at La Sierra University and is married to Marni and father to Cooper and Milo.